The Giving Tree
by hey-sass-butt
Summary: Tumblr prompt: Kid!Dean carving his and Castiel's initials into a tree - 'DW CN ' because they're going to be best friends forever. When they're adults, Dean finds the tree again and carves a heart around their initials because now Castiel Novak is Castiel Winchester. Fluff. Oneshot.


**AN: Tumblr prompt. Title from Shel Silverstein's book. It's a great story, you should read it some time.**

Dean laughed, sprinting with one last burst of speed towards the tree. He grabbed the rough bark tightly as he ran by, slowing himself down.

"Told you I'd win!" he yelled, panting slightly, as he looked around for Castiel. The other boy was nowhere to be found. "Cas?"

"Yes, Dean?"

Dean spun around quickly to find Cas hanging from a branch by his knees, his arms dangling towards the ground. There was a smirk on the younger boy's face. Dean walked up and shoved him lightly, making him swing.

"Get down from there, you weirdo," Dean laughed, flopping down at the base of the tree. Cas nimbly scampered down the tree trunk, sitting down next to Dean.

Dean looked around furtively before reaching into his pocket. "Look what I snatched from dad," he whispered, pulling a swiss army knife from his pocket to show Castiel.

"Woah…" Cas touched the closed knife gently. "I wish I had one."

"You can have this one," Dean said, shrugging.

"But it's your dad's."

"Aw, he has plenty back at home. He won't even miss it." Dean pushed the knife into Cas's hand, closing the other boy's fingers around it.

Cas looked down at the knife in his hand for a moment. "Dean?" he asked, sounding hesitant. "We're going to be friends forever… right?"

"Of course we are, Cas," Dean assured him. He reached over, taking the knife from Cas's hand. Flipping it open, he turned to the tree. Castiel quirked his head to side curiously as Dean worked on the tree. When the boy moved back, "DW+CN" was carved into the trunk.

"See?" Dean said, handing the knife back to Castiel. "Just come back here all the time, and you'll see we'll be together forever."

Suddenly, Dean focused on something over Castiel's shoulder. The younger boy turned around to see Dean's father standing a distance away, his face unmistakably stern.

"Er.. I should go," Dean said, standing up quickly. "See you tomorrow!"

But the next day, the Winchesters moved. Castiel watched sadly from their tree as the moving trucks rolled by.

14 years later, Dean returned to the tree. He looked down at the letters he had carved into the tree so long ago, tracing his fingers over them lightly. Suddenly, he heard a noise behind, and he spun around quickly.

"Dean?" There was a young man in a suit, tie, and, strangely enough, a trenchcoat. Dean watched him, confused for a moment, until he saw the ruffled black hair and bright blue eyes.

"Castiel?"

"Hello." Castiel smiled.

Dean flopped down on the ground, as he had as an 8 year old, and patted the ground next to him, inviting his old friend to join him.

They began talking, awkwardly at first. Within minutes, though, the conversation flowed easily, and hours quickly passed without either man being aware.

"I've really missed you," Castiel admitted, not meeting Dean's eyes.

"I've missed you, too," Dean replied. "In 14 years, I still haven't had a better friend than you."

That night, the two went their separate ways. Every day after, though, they met at the tree, just as they had as boys.

Another 14 years had passed, and Dean returned to their tree. He crouched down in front of the carving, pulling a knife out of his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Castiel asked, walking up behind him.

"I'm fixing it," Dean answered, stepping back from his work. A heart was freshly carved around the old initials.

"Really, Dean?" Cas asked dryly. "A heart?"

"Don't judge me," Dean said defensively. "Remember what I told you when I carved this?"

"Of course. You said we would be best friends forever." Castiel smiled fondly at the memory.

"Well, we're more than that now." Dean twisted the gold band on his finger. "I thought someone ought to tell the tree that."

Cas laughed, grabbing Dean's hand and dragging him away from the tree. "C'mon, you weirdo," he said affectionately. "We don't want to be late for the adoption agency."

"Wait!" Dean said, pulling them back to the tree. "I promised the tree I'd do something!"

"You promised the… tree?"

Dean grabbed Cas by the shoulders and pinned him against the tree, kissing him thoroughly.

"Okay," he said, releasing Castiel with a self-satisfied smirk. "We can go now."

They never visited the tree again. It was a part of their lives that had come and gone, like so many other things. Many kids saw the carving on the tree and wondered who the two lovers were, but no one ever knew. And that didn't matter to Cas and Dean. They didn't need the tree anymore. They had each other.


End file.
